Are Google’s AI Features a Threat to Web Traffic?Claims undermining SEO strategies and threatening online journalism

Google Search chief Liz Reid defended Google’s AI features in a blog post by stating that total organic click volume from Google Search to websites remains “relatively stable” year-over-year, and claimed that AI is driving more searches and higher quality clicks to websites. She argued that AI Overviews are a natural evolution of previous Google search features and emphasized the increase in overall search queries and stable or slightly improved click quality, defined as clicks where users do not quickly return to search results.

However, this defense contrasts with multiple independent studies and reports that show significant reductions in website traffic due to Google’s AI Overviews. Research by the Pew Research Center and others indicates that AI summaries reduce click-through rates by nearly half in some cases, decreasing external site visits from about 15% to around 8% on searches with AI Overviews. Studies from SEO firms such as Ahrefs, Amsive, and BrightEdge find click rate declines ranging from roughly 30% to over 50% depending on the query type, especially for informational, non-branded keywords. The rise of “zero-click” searches—where users get answers directly from AI summaries without visiting any site—has been noted as a major factor, with estimates that around 60% of Google searches now fall into this category. This trend has caused concern among publishers and SEO experts who report significant traffic drops and threats to online content monetization.

Google disputes the methodologies and conclusions of these external studies, arguing that their internal data shows overall stable or slightly improved click volumes and that some sites are indeed losing traffic while others gain. However, Google has not publicly released detailed data to substantiate all of these claims, leading to ongoing debate about the true impact of AI features on web traffic.

While Liz Reid asserts that total organic clicks remain stable year-over-year despite AI integration, independent research and publisher reports overwhelmingly show that Google’s AI features—particularly AI Overviews—have caused significant reductions in website traffic and click-through rates, especially for informational and non-branded queries.